Christopher Wilson

Christopher Wilson is Deputy Director of the Mexico Institute at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, where he leads the Institute’s research and programming on regional economic integration and U.S.-Mexico border affairs. He is the author of Working Together: Economic Ties between the United States and Mexico (Wilson Center, 2011) and coauthor of the State of the Border Report (Wilson Center, 2013). Chris has testified before the United States Congress and is regularly consulted by national and international media outlets regarding U.S.-Mexico relations. He has written opinion columns for the Wall Street Journal, Politico, CNN, and Reuters, among others. Chris previously worked as a contractor doing Mexico analysis for the U.S. military and as a researcher at American University’s Center for North American Studies. In Mexico, he worked briefly with the international trade consultancy IQOM, Inteligencia Comercial, and with American students studying regional political and social issues. He completed his M.A. in International Affairs at American University, focusing on U.S. foreign policy and hemispheric relations.

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Mexico Institute Associate Chris Wilson was quoted on the recent application of the Kingpin Act to three individuals in Belize with links to the transnational criminal organization led by El Chapo Guzman. This article is in Spanish. more

Program Asssociate Christopher Wilson was interviewed by MSN Latino about the new report released by Committee Chairman Darrell Issa and Senator Charles Grassley on the botched anti-weapons trafficking operation, Fast and Furious. Both interviews were conducted in Spanish. more

Current U.S. drug policy is proving insufficient in shrinking the damage caused by drug abuse, but promising alternative approaches could lead to improved results, according to an article in the summer 2012 edition of Issues in Science and Technology. more

As one of the architects of the 21st Century Border initiative, Alan Bersin, Assistant Secretary of International Affairs and Chief Diplomatic Officer for the Department of Homeland Security, delivered a keynote address at a discussion on developing efficient and secure border management strategies.
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For deeper analysis and background on the July 1 elections in Mexico, we have collected a selection of insights from Mexico Institute staff and colleagues on the PRI's rise to power, the prospects for security, economic, and energy policy, the impact on U.S.-Mexico relations and the future of Mexican democracy. This list will be continually updated on the Mexico Institute homepage as more articles are released. more

THE border between America and Mexico is perhaps best known for the illegal trade and people passing though it. But the growth in legitimate things crossing over is the far bigger story. Last year the value of bilateral trade reached half a trillion dollars by one measure, without any fanfare at all. But a stiffening of controls since 9/11 has led to congestion and unpredictable delays that cost both countries billions of dollars a year in trade, according to a report* released this month. The Mexico Institute's Christopher Wilson comments. more

If there’s a golden rule for economic competitiveness, it’s this: “Always exploit your advantages.” Yet for more than a decade, the United States has systematically undermined one of its biggest – our proximity to a wealthy, resource-rich partner to the north and a developing, labor-rich partner to the south..."The State of Trade, Competitiveness and Economic Well-being in the U.S.-Mexico Border Region" by the Mexico Institute's Christopher Wilson is used to explain the U.S. economic relationship with Mexico. more

More than a billion dollars of goods are traded across the US-Mexico border each day. With so much commerce, efficient and secure border management is essential to promote the competitiveness of the US and Mexico. This report identifies strategies to meet this challenge. more

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Halfway through the six-year term of Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, Mexico went to the polls on June 7 for its largest mid-term elections, renewing all 500 seats in the lower house of Congress and 17 state legislatures, as well as selecting new governors for nine states and mayors for hundreds of cities across the country.

The Wilson Center’s Mexico Institute will host its second annual high-level conference on the topic of “building a competitive U.S.-Mexico border.” Issues from infrastructure and transportation to energy and innovation will be on the agenda, with participants expected to include Senator John Cornyn and Ambassador Alejandro Estivill. We spoke with Mexico Institute Senior Associate, Chris Wilson, and he provides a preview of the conference in this edition of Wilson Center NOW.

The U.S.-Mexico High Level Economic Dialogue was launched in 2013 by President Barack Obama and President Enrique Peña Nieto. It is intended to provide a strategic vision for cooperation between the two countries that moves the discussion about the border beyond security issues by unleashing still untapped economic potential between the two neighbors. We spoke with Chris Wilson to check in on how the plan is progressing. That’s the focus of this edition of Wilson Center NOW.

Christopher Wilson and Erik Lee discuss seven ideas to strengthen competitiveness at the U.S.-Mexico border. These ideas are drawn from a compilation of 27 ways to strengthen border competitiveness, outlined in the report "The U.S.-Mexico Border Economy in Transition."

The Wilson Center’s Mexico Institute has released a new report, “The U.S.-Mexico Border Economy in Transition.” The report provides insight into day to day life and commerce along the border, and provides a series of recommendations to strengthen competitiveness. We spoke with Mexico Institute Senior Associate, Chris Wilson, to learn more about both the unique process behind the report and also about some of the best ideas emerging from the year-long project. That’s the focus of this edition of Wilson Center NOW.

A debate has recently emerged regarding the issue of raising Mexico’s minimum wage. Proponents call attention to the fact that the minimum wage is much lower than other countries in Latin America. Others fear an increase in the minimum wage would spark inflation and warn that this debate is used as a distraction from the real issue of increasing productivity.

"It is important to note that adding more boots on the ground would do little or nothing to stem the flow of children across the border. The real solutions lie in addressing the push factors in the source countries," writes Christopher Wilson and Eric Olson.

After twenty years of success, why wouldn't we want the Bank to do more? Christoper Wilson reflects on the past and future of the NADBank and BECC and how an expanded role could increase exports, create jobs, and spur regional competition.

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As the debate over immigration reform has brought the management of the U.S.-Mexico border back into the spotlight, the Mexico Institute is pleased to invite you to the launch of its new State of the Border Report.

On the same day that President Obama begins his trip to Latin America, the authors of the Mexico Institute’s new policy report will present their recommendations for strengthening U.S.-Mexico relations.

In 2009, the Pacific Council on International Policy and the Mexican Council on Foreign Affairs convened the Binational Task Force on the United States-Mexico Border. The group issued a series of recommendations regarding border management, which were detailed in the report, “Managing the United States-Mexico Border: Cooperative Solutions to Common Challenges.” Now, as border management plays a key role in the debate over immigration reform, the Task Force will reconvene to evaluate progress in managing the U.S.-Mexico border.

As one of the architects of the 21st Century Border initiative, Alan Bersin, Assistant Secretary of International Affairs and Chief Diplomatic Officer for the Department of Homeland Security, delivered a keynote address at a discussion on developing efficient and secure border management strategies.

Unlike China or Europe, Mexico and Canada are fundamentally different trading partners to the United States. They more closely resemble side-by-side workers on a common assembly line than transactional buyers and sellers separated by long distances. Working Together argues that enhanced economic integration can help meet the goal of doubled U.S. exports by 2015, sustain jobs throughout North America, and sharpen the region’s competitiveness against other world blocs. At the report’s launch Wednesday, author Chris Wilson of the Mexico Institute also stressed the largely unpublicized benefits Mexico trade poses for interior U.S. districts far from the southern border.

The Woodrow Wilson Center’s Mexico Institute, American University’s Department of Government, and American University’s Center for Latin American and Latino Studies were glad to host a discussion with the authors of two new books: "Politics, Identity, and Mexico's Indigenous Rights Movements" and "Popular Movements in Autocracies: Religion, Repression, and Indigenous Collective Action in Mexico"

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On December 9, 2013, Christopher Wilson testified in front of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs,Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, addressing the issue of U.S.-Mexico trade and border management. His testimony focused on the development of a multifaceted approach to border management that promotes security, trade and competitiveness, and a high quality of life for those living in the border region.

Testifying at an ad-hoc hearing in front of Border Caucus members Rep. Grijalva, Rep. Vela, and Rep. O'Rourke, Mexico Institute Associate Christopher Wilson addressed the important issue of U.S.-Mexico trade in the context of the current immigration reform debate.

As the debate over immigration reform has brought the management of the U.S.-Mexico border back into the spotlight, this report provides a comprehensive look at the state of affairs in the management of the U.S.-Mexico border and the border region, focusing on four core areas: trade and competitiveness, security, sustainability, and quality of life. The report suggests that rather than consider each issue individually, the interdependent nature of topics like trade and security demand the border be approached from a more holistic perspective.

The depth of economic ties with Mexico, together with declines in illegal immigration and organized crime violence in Mexico, open up an opportunity for U.S. policymakers to deepen the economic relationship with Mexico and to engage Mexico more on major global issues.

More than a billion dollars of goods are traded across the US-Mexico border each day. With so much commerce, efficient and secure border management is essential to promote the competitiveness of the US and Mexico. This report identifies strategies to meet this challenge.

The report looks at the ways in which regional economic cooperation can enhance competitiveness, stimulate growth and create jobs. There is no doubt that the economies of the United States and Mexico are facing serious challenges. While some of the risk is due to external pressures, whether increasing competition from Asia or fears of crisis in Europe, much of the solution lies in strengthening regional competitiveness. The path forward, then, must be based in a clear understanding that the United States and Mexico are ultimately partners rather than competitors.

As organized crime‐related violence has increased in northern Mexico, so has the heated rhetoric regarding the U.S. side of the border. The title of National Geographic’s program, Border Wars, exemplifies the sentiment, echoed by several politicians, that the border region is lawless and dangerous. For residents of the U.S. border region, thankfully, the reality is anything but that.

An overview of Mexico's Politics, Economy, and Society and an assessment of key issues in U.S.-Mexico Relations with particular focus on economic integration, security cooperation, migration, and the U.S.-Mexico border.

David Rusk, a former mayor of Albuquerque, joins us for a look at his book, “Cities without Suburbs.” Blair Ruble joins the discussion. Christopher Wilson discusses the newly released “The State of the Border Report."